We surveyed Broadmead BID businesses in January 2019. There were 41 responses.
Please see below for details.

1. Social media and digital marketing – we plan to increase our social media and digital marketing this year. Which groups of people do you think it is more important to target?
There were 38 responses to this question with no consensus:
– 34% mentioned ages across the 18-24, 25-34, and 35-44 demographic ranges
– 24% mentioned students
– 13% mentioned families

2. What promotions and events would you like to see in Bristol Shopping Quarter? And at what time of year would you like them to take place?
36 responses, suggestions include:
• Pre-festival events in the summer
• Craft events
• Community and social events
• Late night shopping for Black Friday and to tie in with Cabot Circus promotions
• Events for students – Freshers, Comic Relief – tie in with student finance payment dates
• School holiday events aimed at families
• Dwell time increasing events
• Interactive map and pop-up promotion stations during spring and summer for independent retailers
• Santa’s Grotto
• Events to help local charities
• Flyers all year round
• Promotions from January to March (traditionally quiet months)
• Fashion/hair & beauty event
• Discounts for people working in the area
• Summer market
• Awareness-raising events
• Vegan or gluten-free markets
• Discounts or competition entry tied in to purchases
• Term-time events for parents and pre-school children – meet CBeebies characters
• Celebrate local businesses

4. Would you be interested in participating in a Broadmead gift card scheme?
38 responses:
34% No, 37% Yes but some with caveats such as needing permission from head office, 29% Maybe

5. What are your thoughts on the Christmas market?
38 responses:
– 71% positive, comments include:
• Starts and finishes too early, should finish after Christmas
• Chaos behind the Cabot Circus area where parking and rubbish are big issues
• The Christmas markets impact my business negatively, I think it should only take place for one week or a maximum of two weeks
• The Christmas markets do nothing for us and are detrimental to some businesses, such as the Food Court. Could they be extended to inside The Galleries to pull more people into the centre? Could you offer permanent retailers, especially independents, a good rate on a Christmas Market stall or have a stall that represents the independents, staffed on rotation? The best stalls (local independents) are sited at the least busy end of the market
• More advertising needed as Bath is always the main attraction over Bristol – they pull in the footfall because of their advertising
• Good for increasing footfall to the area
• Should have more local businesses involved and more creative/cultural elements
• Can it be extended towards Debenhams?
• Please get them to stop selling fur
• Positions of the bins badly thought-out
• Shops can get lost behind huts, more gaps needed
• Experience-type promotions would be better than stall competing against permanent retailers

6. Do you think the BID should continue with the annual mystery shopping programme and awards ceremony?
39 responses:
– 54% Yes
– 31 % unsure or not aware of programme
– 15% No

7. Should the BID continue to organise free courses for retailers? And what would you like them to cover?
39 responses:
– 56% Yes. Suggestions include:
• Loss prevention, security
• Customer service
• Caring in Bristol
• Improving sales, customer service and networking
• Security, dealing with shoplifters
• How to manage staff
• How to plan
• Monthly small business networking event

8. Cleansing and maintenance – how could we make the Broadmead BID area more attractive?
36 responses:
Generally, respondents are positive about the work already being done. Suggestions include:
• More litter picking
• Cargo-style containers on Merchant Street
• Broadmead is very much associated with homelessness and rough sleepers – all efforts need to go to tackling this issue
• More recycling bins to support sustainability
• Make it a no alcohol area
• Put up gum pods and more bins
• The smaller roads coming into town should be better cleaned
• Some more colour and flowers would be nice

9. How would you like the BID team to communicate with you?
90% want emails, with monthly e-newsletters also popular.

10. Crime and anti-social behaviour – what are your thoughts on the current level of support? How do you think we could improve to help you more?
Generally, respondents think the BID is doing what it can with many issues, such as rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour out of its control. Suggestions include:
• More police patrols
• Shutters
• Security in Broadmead, similar to The Galleries and Cabot Circus
• Monthly security meetings are useful
• Hotline needed for quick response – 101 is much too slow

What our retailers say

“As manager of an independent retailer on the edge of the BID area, I really appreciate the work the BID team does to help promote all its businesses, especially events like the annual Easter trail that encourage shoppers to explore the whole area.”